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Daily Archives: April 24, 2017

The Diocese of Orlando reprimanded the sixth-grade Blessed Trinity teacher for an “unfortunate exhibit of disrespect.”

A Blessed Trinity Catholic School religion teacher has been reprimanded by the Diocese of Orlando after he assigned sixth-grade students to read anti-Muslim excerpts from a 164-year-old text authored by Priest Giovanni Bosco, who later became a saint.

Mark Smythe, who teaches religion and social studies at Blessed Trinity, gave students several printouts of Bosco’s 1853 text that states Prophet Muhammad “degrades and dishonors human nature and by placing happiness in sensual pleasures, reduces man to the level of filthy animals.” The text also refers to Islam as a “monstrous mixture of Judaism, Paganism and Christianity.”

The news was first reported Wednesday afternoon by the Huffington Post as part of its “Documenting Hate” project.

The text also calls the doctrines of the Prophet Muhammad “ridiculous, immoral and corrupting,” according to The Huffington Post story by Christopher Mathias.

The Diocese of Orlando issued a statement about its decision to reprimand the teacher to the Huffington Post. Diocese officials said they would issue the same written statement to the Star-Banner, but that had not been received by press time.

The Diocese of Orlando officials would not answer questions to discuss details about the exact extent of the punishment.

Jacquelyn Flanigan, an associate superintendent with the Diocese of Orlando’s Catholic school system, said in a statement to the Huffington Post that she had spoken with Blessed Trinity’s Principal Jason Halstead and Smythe.

Flanigan stated that after speaking with the two men, the school district decided to “reprimand the teacher for this unfortunate exhibit of disrespect.” Flanigan also said in the statement that the material is also “not consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church.”